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Carbon-based air-breathing cathodes for microbial fuel cells

Merino-Jimenez, Irene; Santoro, Carlo; Rojas-Carbonell, Santiago; Greenman, John; Ieropoulos, Ioannis; Atanassov, Plamen

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Authors

Irene Merino-Jimenez

Carlo Santoro

Santiago Rojas-Carbonell

Yannis Ieropoulos Ioannis2.Ieropoulos@uwe.ac.uk
Professor in Bioenergy & Director of B-B

Plamen Atanassov



Abstract

© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. A comparison between different carbon-based gas-diffusion air-breathing cathodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is presented in this work. A micro-porous layer (MPL) based on carbon black (CB) and an activated carbon (AC) layer were used as catalysts and applied on different supporting materials, including carbon cloth (CC), carbon felt (CF), and stainless steel (SS) forming cathode electrodes for MFCs treating urine. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) analyses were done on CB and AC to: (i) understand the kinetics of the carbonaceous catalysts; (ii) evaluate the hydrogen peroxide production; and (iii) estimate the electron transfer. CB and AC were then used to fabricate electrodes. Half-cell electrochemical analysis, as well as MFCs continuous power performance, have been monitored. Generally, the current generated was higher from the MFCs with AC electrodes compared to the MPL electrodes, showing an increase between 34% and 61% in power with the AC layer comparing to the MPL. When the MPL was used, the supporting material showed a slight effect in the power performance, being that the CF is more powerful than the CC and the SS. These differences also agree with the electrochemical analysis performed. However, the different supporting materials showed a bigger effect in the power density when the AC layer was used, being the SS the most efficient, with a power generation of 65.6 mW·m−2, followed by the CC (54 mW·m−2) and the CF (44 mW·m−2).

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 19, 2016
Publication Date Sep 1, 2016
Deposit Date Nov 7, 2016
Publicly Available Date Nov 7, 2016
Journal Catalysts
Electronic ISSN 2073-4344
Publisher MDPI
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Issue 9
Pages 127
DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/catal6090127
Keywords air-breathing cathode, carbon electrodes, microbial fuel cells, oxygen reduction reaction
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/921607
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/catal6090127
Contract Date Nov 7, 2016

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